


A Question of Numbers

by Immicolia



Category: Baccano!, ヴぁんぷ! - 成田良悟 | Vamp! Series - Ryohgo Narita
Genre: Gen, Other, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 18:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7326058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immicolia/pseuds/Immicolia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU. Where most people were born with the names of their soulmates marked on their skin, Doubs has nothing but ones and zeroes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Question of Numbers

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a really short, kind of silly soulmate AU thing and wound up turning into 90% headcanons about Doubs, how Hackey came to be, and a brief Baccano! crossover because I believe with all my heart that Doubs is the "vampire magician" Claire mentions as being in the circus with him. Also I still lament the fact that what was initially a pairing I liked to joke about turned into my absolute OTP at some point. But now I will die on this hill and I will drag everyone into this hell with me.

If Doubs had been born without a soulmate's name on him at all his life would have been far easier. Although it's not particularly common it's still something that happens, people whose skin is perfectly clear, people who aren't destined to love anyone.

It would be so much more convenient if he were one of those.

Instead of a name, or a lack of a name, marking his skin Doubs has numbers. A sharp line of zeros and ones that march between his shoulder blades and are absolutely perplexing to anyone who looks at them. He remembers his parents talking about it when he was young; their voices hushed in the darkness in an attempt to not wake him, entirely unaware that he was listening in. They'd murmur back and forth about how worrisome it was and what if he's cursed.

Doubs doesn't think much of his life before he was turned. The village he was born in was small and most people there thought he was strange. He was viewed as the type of person who was a little too smart for his own good and likely to get into trouble because of it. At nineteen he leaves with a grand plan to see the world. To head for Paris, or maybe cross the channel and see England, although by the time he gets there he's no longer alive.

Years down the line he manages to figure out that the vampire who turned him was part of a roving gang. The pack of them would rob and feed and leave their victims for dead. Eventually they were wiped out by hunters but before that they jump a young man who is trying his best to reach the next inn despite how late it's gotten and dump him in a shallow grave. All of them entirely unaware that their victim had fought and kicked and, most importantly, bitten back hard enough to draw and taste blood.

The next night Doubs crawled out of the dirt, confused and absolutely dying of thirst and it's still baffling to him that he managed to survive even his first week as a vampire, let alone all the years that followed. Pure luck is really the only explanation. A chance meeting while he's stumbled in the dark.

Doubs wasn't the first person to be attacked and left for dead by that ragged little group of highwaymen who managed to survive, although he is the first to be inadvertently turned. That's what the couple who found him staggering between the trees told him.

Out of the pair of them the woman is a vampire herself, and she taught him the basics of what he needed to know to survive.

He stayed with them for a few months until one evening in the nearby village he hears some humans talking about the family that lives in the woods. How they're something strange and unholy and they need to be run out. Not just run out, burned out. Wiped out.

The small group don't know that Doubs has been staying there. They think he's just as human as they are. So he smiles and agrees and plays along, just so they don't think to kill him too. Standing just a little bit to the side and watching as they whip themselves into a frenzy and decide that yes, they have to do it. Tonight. Before they lose their nerve. While they have the element of surprise. Surround the house and burn it out. Kill them _all_.

While the men work on gathering a few others to go with them Doubs disappears into the dark and doesn't look back. Not wanting to risk taking time to warn the couple he'd been staying with he decides to go back to his initial plan. The one he'd made when he initially left home. To venture further into the world at large and see what he can make of himself there.

Betrayal is something that comes far too easy to Doubs. It begins as a way to stay alive but soon enough turns in to something he simply finds entertaining. Human or vampire, if you tell someone what they want to hear they will always believe you and can twist most people up in such fascinating ways that it never gets boring.

In the midst of his travels he comes across the Organization and finds himself intrigued by the concept of such a loosely gathered "social club". Small rogue bands of vampires he's dealt with on several occasions, and one or two Clans he's crossed paths with (as stuffy and nearly intolerable as they are) but the Organization is something unique. It's something entirely curious that he wants to dig into and watch and within the day he decides that he absolutely needs to join, thinking that it will be fun to slowly pull them apart from the inside. Fun, but given the variety of personalities at play likely far too easy. So he sets a challenge for himself and for the first time he can remember, is perfectly honest about his nature.

"I can bring you any sort of information you'd like. Of course I'll also take whatever I find here and sell it to your enemies as well. Fair's fair after all, yours is far from the only group I take part in."

There's a moment where Doubs thinks that maybe that particular declaration was a bit too far. Caldimir looks about ready to throw him out without a second thought and most of the others seem indifferent although not particularly impressed.

Gerhardt however perks up in his seat, as much as his body can at least, and paints a response in the air between them. The font he uses bold and almost eager.

[I appreciate your honesty about the matter. Even if you hadn't felt the need to inform us, your reputation does precede you to a degree and I was curious as to just how much you'd admit to.]

"And..." Doubs prompts with a grin, curious as to where Gerhardt may be going with this.

[I will admit, if you'd tried to hide your past I wouldn't be quite so welcoming. Not that we're inclined to turn anyone who honestly wishes to join away, but even with your abilities I likely would have placed you under one of the other officers to keep an eye on you.]

"And what if I told you the only reason I said so much was as a personal challenge?" The smile Doubs flashes as he responds is vicious and taunting. "To see if I could tear this group apart even when you expect it."

[I welcome you to try. If the Organization can't hold together in the face of something as simple as betrayal then it will never be able to accomplish its purpose. But I have the feeling you won't.]

"You can't be serious about this!" Caldimir is practically bristling with anger, looking as if he wants to stand and somehow throttle some sense into Gerhardt, no matter how impossible it might be given his fluid state. "He's flat out admitting to being a viper and you're ready to invite him into our ranks with no questions asked."

[Think of it as keeping him where we can see him, Caldimir,] Gerhardt replies, the text shifting subtlety to something a little more lazy and indifferent. [Don't you think that's better for everyone involved?]

There's a vague chorus of agreement from around the table and Doubs watches the various interactions between the Rainbow with interest. He finds it fascinating to study, all the tiny bits of body language that indicate who is allied with whom and where the weaknesses might be. Not that it's easy to tell much at first glance, most are understandably guarded and attempting to keep themselves impassive and entirely unreadable.

But one thing that is obvious is how much the bulk of the group appears to outright respect Gerhardt von Waldstein. A respect that is deep enough that they will accept Gerhardt's judgement, and as a result accept Doubs into the Organization no matter what their own misgivings may be. Caldimir is the main exception and Doubs has the feeling his protests are solely because he doesn't want Doubs interfering with his own machinations.

A small part of Doubs can't help but find it refreshing, being so entirely up-front about his nature and still accepted to a degree. He can't help but grudgingly respect Gerhardt for it himself, even though he does somewhat agree with Caldimir that such a trusting nature is absolutely insane.

After all, respect or no, he'll still betray the lot them in a heartbeat if it suits him. That much will never change.

 

**o o o o**

 

Joining a circus is something Doubs does entirely on a whim, just as teaching himself sleight of hand was a few decades before and the two things fold together quite neatly. He's become a talented enough at magic over the years that joining the troupe was simple enough, and it makes for both an amusing diversion and an easy way to feed without worrying about staying in one place for too long and getting caught. He has no real plan beyond simply staying with the troupe until he gets bored and then moving on.

He winds up traveling with them for eight years.

Circuses are where misfits go and for the first time in his life Doubs almost feels like he fits somewhere, even more than he does with the Organization. Among this group of flamboyant oddities all of his quirks and idiosyncrasies aren't viewed as any more outlandish than anyone else's. He can sleep in a box all day and not a single person blinks, everyone chalking it up to him being exceptionally dedicated to the vampire persona he portrays. He can be as bombastic as he'd like. He can trick people and the only retaliation will be an attempted trick in return.

A few years after Doubs starts traveling with them a boy named Claire joins. He's a gifted acrobat although he hisses and spits like a scalded cat whenever anyone suggests that his skill is effortless, no matter how effortless he may make it seem.

And he wholeheartedly believes that he's the absolute centre of the world. That life is a dream and he is the dreamer.

Doubs finds him fascinating.

Claire doesn't have a name on him either, although unlike most people Doubs has run into over the years he doesn't seem to view it as an absolute declaration that he will never find love. The thought that he will ever go without anything he wants out of life is something that simply never occurs to Claire.

"That sort of marking is for everyone else. I don't need to be told who my one true love is, I'll know for absolute fact when I see them. Whoever they might be."

"That's fine for you I suppose," Doubs says with a chuckle. "But it doesn't do much for someone like me."

He doesn't talk much about his own mark, although everyone in the circus has seen it by this point. There's very little privacy in a troupe like theirs and everyone tends to know everyone else's business. So they all know he has numbers instead of a name and all are very careful to not bring it up unless he does so first as if he could be _sensitive_ about it or some foolish thing like that.

Doubs finds the thought that he might be sensitive about anything to be absolutely hilarious. He doesn't just have thick skin. He has a shell like a gleaming jeweled beetle: dazzling and impervious. Something carefully built up over decades, almost a century even.

There's no pity in Claire's eyes when he responds, and that's part of the reason Doubs likes him. Everything to Claire is a simple, matter of fact, truth that is entirely dependent on what he might believe at the moment. His response to the oddity that is Doubs' mark is just as breezy and absolutely certain as anything Claire says.

"Well it's not like you're completely without one. I'm positive there's someone out there whose name is a number like that. Why else would you have it? I guarantee you'll find someone someday."

If it had been coming from anyone else Doubs would have laughed in their face for saying something so obviously trite and intended to spare his feelings. But this is Claire, and Doubs is well aware that Claire doesn't care about anyone's feelings but his own.

Or maybe that's a bit of a simplification. The reality is closer to the fact that Claire views the rest of humanity as being somewhere below him and not worth thinking about at all. But Claire does have people he likes, and he does want the people he likes to be happy. It's more likely that Claire made that declaration on the simple belief that saying it, specifically _him_ saying it, will make it true. That speaking those words has magically conjured a soulmate for Doubs into existence. A gift from a capricious god of sorts.

It's absolute foolishness of course. Doubs has lived far longer than Claire and will continue to live on long after the man is dead and there are times when Doubs has wanted to reveal his true nature and bring this up to Claire, just to test his faith. The only things stopping him are the twin facts that he's actually quite fond of Claire to the point where he's not sure if he wants to be needlessly cruel, and the simple matter that even if he did he's fairly certain that Claire would be absolutely unshakable in his belief, rendering the whole thing pointlessly unamusing.

Even still, as ridiculous as the whole thing is, Doubs can't help but appreciate the sentiment. Nodding and murmuring, "Who knows," in response.

Claire leaves the circus a few months after that conversation, his tone just as lazy and breezy as ever as he declares to Doubs his intent to become a professional assassin.

"You probably shouldn't just casually tell people that sort of thing."

"It doesn't matter, I'll never get caught. And either way I trust you. Besides, if you're a vampire you shouldn't be squeamish about the idea of killing anyone, should you?"

Doubs still isn't sure if Claire actually believes that he's a vampire or if he's just playing along. The troupe is fairly split on whether or not Doubs is to be believed and most of them are fairly obvious about where they fall on that particular divide.

Even though it's probably his last chance to find out for sure, Doubs doesn't ask where Claire stands. Odds are good that Claire wouldn't give him a straight answer anyway. Instead he simply offers an extravagant bow and says, "I wish you luck on your endeavors then."

"Don't act like we'll never see each other again. It may not be often but I'll find a way to keep in touch. And if I ever find anyone with a number instead of a name I'll let you know. Unless I have to kill them. Then I'll apologize for it."

"Fair enough."

The next time Doubs hears from Claire is in '36. Except it's Felix now instead of Claire and the man is getting married.

"How did you even manage to track me down?" Doubs can't help but ask as soon as he's able to get a word in edgewise past Felix's enthusiastic gushing about the woman he's going to marry.

"Why wouldn't I be able to find all my old friends? I'm inviting everyone from the circus. Will you be able to make it?"

"I was planning on heading back to Europe," Doubs admits, a little bit surprised that he's even saying that much. Usually he's far more cagy about his plans but whether it's Claire or Felix he's going by the man on the other end of the phone has always been capable of getting Doubs to speak more honestly than he intends to. "But I can try to make it. If only to see this vision of absolute loveliness that has apparently stolen your heart away for myself."

"Chane is perfect. I knew from the moment I saw her that she was the only one for me. Just like I told you, I would always know. Did you ever find yours?"

The change in subject is so sudden that Doubs is startled into a perfectly honest answer. "Ah, no. Not yet."

"You will. I'm sure of it."

"Oh? And you don't think I might be getting a bit too long in the tooth for finding true love?"

"It wouldn't be there if it wasn't meant to happen." 

 

**o o o o**

 

For the next few decades things are quiet, or at least as quiet as Doubs allows them to be. He causes trouble. He double crosses whatever groups might catch his eye. Some fall apart, some continue on, and the ones that do survive his machinations learn quite quickly to not trust everything he says so blindly.

In '94 he gets a call from Mirald.

"Come to Paris."

"Hello to you too, Mirror. What's the occasion?"

"The most fun you will likely have had in _years_. Trust me. Things are getting interesting with the Organization right now. Come to Paris."

"Things are always interesting there. The question is how interesting. Has Gerhardt come back? Did someone manage to recapture the twins?"

"No but it's on the scale. Melhilm has been experimenting again and his latest ball of failure has escaped and gotten into the _wiring_ of all things."

"How does that happen?"

"Just come to Paris," Mirald simply repeats with a laugh.

By the time Doubs shows up the creature has been brought under control and is isolated in a computer that Romy keeps at the headquarters for her own personal use. The monitor flashing with bright colours and pixilated blood splatters despite the fact none of it is plugged in.

"He's been playing Doom," Romy says, smiling brightly up at Doubs from where she's seated nearby, watching the display. "He picked up on things pretty quickly actually. Whatever it is that Melhilm made, the little guy's smart. And sneaky. My computer was the only one connected to the internet, I think he was trying to get out where he could learn things. I pulled all the plugs as soon as I realized he was in there, although he's still somehow powering the computer."

"So what you're saying is I missed all the fun."

"If you consider absolute chaos fun. Which... I guess you do." Romy sighs, kicking her feet back and forth a bit. "I hope Melhilm sorts out what he wants to do about all of this. I just want my computer back. And I really don't know how long this guy can keep the power on without being plugged in. He might tire himself out and die."

"That might just be what Melhilm is counting on, I'm sure he doesn't care one way or the other," Doubs replies absently as he leans over the keyboard. He's familiar enough with computers, and has been roped by Romy into trying this particular game, to know which keys make the character move.

"Don't say that. It's so... awful."

Doubs simply shrugs and without much thought pushes down the right arrow on the keyboard for a moment just to see what will happen.

In response the game's view spins a little bit to the right before lurching to a stop and slowly twisting back the other way, as if fighting him until he lets up on the key and the view spins wildly a bit before correcting itself. The animated face in the centre of the HUD shifts to the sneering grimace that normally indicates taking damage, although with no enemies on the screen Doubs has the suspicion that this time it was in response to his actions.

"I just might have made it mad. Do you think it can hear us?"

"I don't have any audio input on this machine, so probably not. A- and you shouldn't call him an 'it'."

"Until we know whether or not _it_ is capable of conscious thought it's probably not smart to anthropomorphize a lab accident. It wouldn't be the first one to wind up being put down."

"He's conscious enough to play Doom and think you're annoying. I can name twenty people who'd want to hang out with him just because of that."

"I suppose you may have a point," Doubs responds with a chuckle, his hands busy with typing out "hello, can you understand this," not really expecting any sort of response from the thing inside the computer.

So when the game abruptly closes to a flashing DOS prompt Doubs blinks, a little bit taken aback by the "yes" that swiftly appears on the screen.

"What did you say to him?" Romy asks while peering over his shoulder.

"I asked if he could understand what I was typing."

"He didn't respond when I tried typing at him."

"Perhaps he had some learning to do first. Either that or he just doesn't like you." Doubs can't quite stop the grin that splits his face at the annoyed huffing noise that Romy lets out. Although he's far more concerned with the creature trapped inside the computer in front of him than teasing Romy any further, and his fingers fly across the keyboard, posing questions that are answered near instantaneously.

{Do you have a name?}

**no**

{I have to call you something}

**don't care**

{If you don't pick something I'll just call you "computer" or "keyboard" or "mouse"}

**anything's good**

{How did you learn to read so quickly?}

**it ain't really reading I can't see the text or nothing just the keystrokes**

{Keyboard it is then!}

**whatever**

{That didn't really answer my question though: how did you learn to read?}

**I just figured it out there's some stuff I just remember**

{If I plug the computer back in will you try to run away again?}

**maybe if I get bored**

{I'll have to keep you amused then}

"You are not plugging the computer back in!" Romy squeaks, still reading over his shoulder. "I said I'd leave it alone until Melhilm decides what to do."

"I will take full responsibility. Weren't you concerned about the 'poor thing' possibly dying in captivity a moment ago?"

Romy's face scrunches up in annoyance. "I'm going to go get Melhilm and tell him that you started talking with his little experiment and that and that the guy seems pretty coherent. Whatever you do when my back is turned is all on you, but if my computer gets damaged in any way in the process...."

"I will treat it with absolute kid gloves. The last thing I want is to face the wrath of the Silver-wheel Stage."

Romy sighs and turns away, clearly not interested in dignifying Doubs' blatant prodding with any kind of a response, and with a shrug Doubs returns his attention to the computer screen in front of him and the new line of text that has appeared.

**is this your idea of being interesting cause I'm bored already**

{I'm sorry. I was discussing plugging the computer back in with someone else who was here}

**oh yea? and?**

{If you can wait a few minutes the man who created you will be here and you can discuss your situation with him.}

There's an odd pause. After so many instant responses any break in the rhythm is strange and Doubs' statement goes unanswered for a good ten seconds before a reply finally blinks into existence.

**created?**

{Accidentally created if you want specifics. Even if you are quite clever for a newborn I suppose it makes sense that you can't really remember your birth. Given the way some of these experiments have reacted to their newfound consciousness you're likely better off not remembering.}

There's another pause and this time instead of waiting for a reply Doubs continues to push.

{What? No thoughts on that? Do you resent the fact that you're entirely artificial at all? In fact you weren't even planned to turn out this way, you're considered a lab accident.}

**it ain't like I got a point of reference for why I should care one way or the other**

**if I'm as new as you say why should I waste time brooding about myself when there's all sorts of interesting things out there to check out first?**

{I think I like you. You have the potential to be incredibly interesting}

**does that make me lucky?**

Doubs just laughs, well aware that the thing inside the computer can't hear him.

{I suppose you'll figure that out eventually}

 

**o o o o**

 

QAWSED's origins become something that is kept quiet amongst the Rainbow and the handful of other Colors who happened to be there at the time. Not out of any intentional desire to keep it secret, but more because it's simply something that's viewed as unnecessary to spread around. That added with the fact that most members of the Organization simply didn't _care_ where the new digital member came from resulted in an incredibly open secret.

As the years pass, it becomes more and more obvious to Doubs how incredibly _handy_ someone who exists entirely in the internet can be. QAWSED tends to get just as bored as he does, and QAWSED's way of dealing with that boredom happens to be learning as much as possible. Information that, in the end, he doesn't care about in the least and all it takes is the right sort of question from Doubs and QAWSED will happily share it, entirely indifferent to how it may be used.

That one simple fact results in a very odd relationship. Something that begins as simple business evolves into a sort of friendship and most evenings booting up his laptop to chat with QAWSED is the first thing Doubs does.

QAWSED sees his mark by accident during one of those early evening chats. Doubs is getting dressed, his laptop open nearby as he moves around the room and he doesn't even think about the possibility that QAWSED might be watching through the webcam. Even if he had, he hasn't thought about his mark in so long that QAWSED suddenly blurting, <What's with the binary?> shocks him and sets him off balance by an almost unheard of amount.

"I beg your pardon?"

<On your back, the binary tattoo. That's what it is, right?  All ones and zeroes.>

"A tattoo implies it's something I wanted," Doubs replies, his motions sharp and almost irritated as he pulls on a shirt even while he keeps his tone breezy and indifferent. "I was born with this. I'm sure you've heard of them, correct? The marks people have that say the name of their soulmate, it's a plot point in enough fiction."

<Yea. But why's yours like that?>

"I've come to assume that it's just wrong." He carefully keeps away from the laptop's camera as he speaks. QAWSED isn't particularly adept at reading emotion but all the same he'd rather not inadvertently reveal something. Not that he's really feeling much of anything beyond annoyed at the moment, but even that is far more than he'd like to show.

<Can I get a better look at it?> QAWSED pipes up after a moment, the question causing another sharp rush of annoyance to pulse through Doubs.

"Why?"

<I wanna read it.>

"What's there to read? It's just a string of numbers."

<If it's actually binary it might say somethin'. Ain'tcha curious?>

Doubs says nothing. Truthfully he isn't quite sure what to say. He's long since discarded the idea that those numbers mean anything at all. The thought that they just might, and that it's something that couldn't be known until almost two hundred years later turns the peace he had made with not knowing completely on its head.

"Maybe some other time," he says, retrieving his hat and tipping it down over his eyes before stepping back in front of the webcam once more. "I have places to be this evening and don't have the time to get undressed again for you."

<I'm gonna hold ya to it. My curiosity's all piqued now.>

Doubs manages to dodge QAWSED's needling inquiries for a week after that. Not that he's particularly afraid of what he might learn if QAWSED does manage to read whatever is written there. He has a strong suspicion of just what it might be if QAWSED is correct about it being binary code.

After all, there's only one "person" Doubs knows of that's tied soul-deep to a computer. QAWSED claims there's another one out there but given that Doubs has never run into him, and odds are good that he never will, it's safe to cross that particular mystery creature off the list.

So when QAWSED says, <Um, I played back that glimpse I caught of your mark and it really looks like my name there,> almost hesitantly one evening Doubs isn't in the least bit surprised. A soft "ah" escapes his lips to indicate that he heard, but otherwise he gives no response at all.

<'Ah'? That's all you got to say is 'ah'? Seriously!?>

"What do you want me to say? Although I suppose 'what happened to letting me show you it myself?" would be a good response as well."

<Hey, I was tryin' to be all polite and respect 'boundaries' or 'privacy' or whatever other nonsense it is you guys out there care about. But you were avoidin' me. 'Sides, you're the _last_ guy who should be complainin' about anyone invadin' your privacy. >

"Fair enough. It's not like I'm actually bothered by you taking the initiative. I had a feeling you would at some point if I kept putting you off."

<So?>

"So what?"

<So ain't you got _anything_ else to say 'bout this? This ain't weird to you at all? >

"Weird? A little bit I suppose. Although really it's more comical than anything."

<How ya figure?>

"I spent decades wondering what it meant to have a number on me instead of a name, if the anomaly was because it didn't know how to account for my becoming a vampire. Then I met vampires who had marks and was forced to realize that that couldn't be it. So I let it all go. I decided I didn't care, and now it turns out that my soulmate is a digital infant." Doubs turns back towards the webcam and theatrically spreads his arms, a wry smile twisting his lips. "How is this _not_ comical?"

<An _infant_? Seriously? You're callin' me an infant? >

"Don't get sulky. How else would you describe it from my point of view?" Doubs sighs and gives his head a small shake. "This is why I wasn't particularly keen on letting you read it. I had a suspicion of what it might say the instant you said it was in binary. Didn't you as well? Wasn't that why you pressed the issue?"

There is no response but silence for a few moments until a distorted crackle that is barely recognizable as a laugh bursts through the laptop's speakers. The sound almost comes off as edgy and nervous despite how artificial it is.

<Yanno I've never heard you be so serious about anything before.>

"Oh? And you weren't being serious when you sounded so terribly cautious when starting this conversation?"

There's another brief beat of hesitation before QAWSED responds. <M- maybe, maybe not. It's just crazy is all. I- I mean you an' me....>

"It doesn't make a difference, QAWSED. I've been ignoring this mark my entire life. Suddenly knowing what it says doesn't make me want to drop to bended knee and declare love undying. Although...."

<Although what?>

Doubs smiles, the expression sharp and entirely amused by what has just occurred to him. "If you'd like to cause a stir, I could do exactly that at the next little get together the Colors have."

<That... sounds funny as hell. Should I swoon when ya do that? Or get all simpery or somethin'?>

"Whatever you feel might sell it best."

<That's too good. How long should we keep it up though?>

"Until we get bored or we get caught. Isn't that always the way?"

QAWSED's only response is another squeaking chuckle and although he doesn't say as much out loud Doubs can almost admit to himself that there may be something to that ridiculous mark after all.

They are entirely compatible in the ways that matter most, after all.


End file.
